Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose yesterday signed into law a bill that criminalises grazing in certain areas within the state.
The Bill called the “Anti Grazing Bill 2016” was passed after the killing of two persons by suspected herdsmen in Oke Ako community in Ikole Local Government Area Ekiti state.
Fayose believes that the law will bring about more security for the people of Ekiti and protect their farmlands from Fulani herdsmen.
Fayose said, “With the signing into law of this bill today, anyone caught grazing with arms or any weapon in Ekiti would now be charged with terrorism and be made to face the law according to certain sections of it.
“The same goes for those who graze in prohibited areas or go against the time frame of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. allowed for open grazing,’’
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Kolawole Oluwawole shed some light on the law and what it proposes to do in an interview. He said, “Anyone caught grazing on portions of land or any farmland not allotted by government shall be apprehended and made to face the law.
“Any herdsman caught with firearms and any weapons whatsoever during grazing shall be charged with terrorism. “Any cattle confiscated shall be taken to government cattle ranch at Erifun and Iworoko Ekiti community in the state.
“Any farm crop destroyed by the activities of any apprehended herdsman shall be estimated by agricultural officers and the expenses of the estimate shall be borne by the culprit. “Any herdsman who violates any of these rules shall be imprisoned for six months without option of fine,” Oluwawole concluded.